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Congress of Vienna

The Congress of Vienna and the Shape of Europe, 1814-1815

by Terry A. Breese and Phillip Garland


Restoring Europe after War and Revolution

Europe’s leaders gather in Vienna to restore Europe after a quarter century of revolution, war and conquest from the French Revolution to the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. Leaders from the five major powers (Russia, Austria, Great Britain, Prussia and France) are joined by delegates representing smaller European states and (in the expanded version) by salonnieres (mostly women) and advocates and artists. They must wrestle with competing ideals of legitimacy, nationalism and the balance of power as they seek to restore a Europe shattered by Napoleon's conquests and create an enduring peace.

This is a Level 3 game that is still under development but has been approved by the Reacting Editorial Board (REB) for general use. A detailed explanation of the editorial process and game levels can be found on our REB Page.

ABOUT THE GAME

Details

Disciplines
Conflict and War Studies, International Relations, Western Civ

Sample Class Titles
Honors Diplomacy, World Civilization II, Modern Europe

Themes and Issues  
Balance of Power, Diplomacy, Peacemaking

Era 
19th Century

Geography 
Europe

Notable Roles
Klemens von Metternich, Tsar Alexander I, Viscount Castlereagh

Primary Source Highlights 
The Treaty of Paris, 1814; David Hume, On the Balance of Power; Klemens von Metternich, Political Confession of Faith

Level
Published Level 3 (what's that mean?)

Player Interactions 
Aggressive, Coalition-Building, Collaborative, Competitive, Factional, Non-Factional

Mechanics 

Physical Props (Gavel, Tokens)

Chaos and Demand on Instructor 
Medium Chaos; Medium Demand on Instructor

Using the Game

Class Size and Scalability
This game is recommended for classes with 12-36 students.

Class Time  
For this game, 2 setup sessions and 6-8 game sessions are recommended.

Assignments
You can adjust the assignments based on the desired learning outcomes of your class. This game includes letter writing, memoranda, and public statements.  All roles are required to give formal speeches.


GAME MATERIALS

Reacting Consortium members can download all game materials below. You will be asked to sign in before downloading. 

Please fill out the Permissions Request Form before using Congress of Vienna in your class!

Gamebook

Students need a Gamebook, which includes directions, resources, and historical content.

Instructor's Manual

The Instructor's Manual includes guidance for assigning roles, presenting historical context, assignments, activities and discussion topics, and more.   

Role Sheets and Handouts

Students also need a Role Sheet, which contains biographical information, role-specific resources or assignments, and their character's secret victory objectives. 

Additional Resources 


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Terry A. Breese

Terry A. Breese served three decades with the Department of State before retiring from the Senior Foreign Service in 2014. His career involved policy and leadership positions focused on both the Asia-Pacific region and U.S.-Canada relations. Mr. Breese was part of international negotiations involving trade, the environment, national security, and economic policy. Since 2015, he has taught diplomacy and U.S. Foreign Relations at the University of Central Florida as an Adjunct Professor. Mr. Breese holds a bachelor’s degree (summa cum laude) in economics from Miami University and a master’s degree in economics from Stanford University.


Phil Garland

Phil Garland is an adjunct History instructor at two schools in the North Carolina Piedmont, Wingate University and Central Piedmont Community College (Charlotte). He did doctoral work at the Institute for Napoleon and the French Revolution at Florida State University, where his focus was diplomacy. Research in Paris and Moscow gave him detailed knowledge of the men who would, once Napoleon had been defeated, attempt to bring about perpetual peace at Vienna. An old DM since the early days of Dungeons & Dragons in the 1970s, he has been an avid user of Reacting games since 2011.


QUESTIONS

Members can contact game authors directly

We invite instructors join our Facebook Faculty Lounge, where you'll find a wonderful community eager to help and answer questions. We also encourage you to submit your question for the forthcoming FAQ, and to check out our upcoming events


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Peacemaking, 1919: The Peace Conference at Versailles

reacting@barnard.edu

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